Nikon D3Svs Hasselblad X1D

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D3S is a Pro DSLR camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Hasselblad X1D is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 51.0MP Medium format sensor. Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious altenatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Nikon D3S is ranked #7 out of 34 Pro DSLR cameras with an overall score of 70 whereas Hasselblad X1D is ranked #5 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 92.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D. Hasselblad X1D is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 59mm shorter and 17mm thinner than Nikon D3S.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Hasselblad X1D is significantly lighter (515g ) than the Nikon D3S which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Hasselblad X1D has a Medium format sensor and Nikon D3S has a smaller Full frame sensor, Nikon D3S's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Hasselblad X1D lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D3S

X1D

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D3S

X1D

Min

Average

Max

Nikon D3S vs Hasselblad X1D: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D3S has a 12.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Hasselblad X1D has a 51.0MP Medium format (44 x 33 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . Hasselblad X1D's sensor provides 39MP more than Nikon D3S's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D3S and X1D sensor size comparison.

As seen above, Hasselblad X1D has a 1.7x Larger sensor area than Nikon D3S. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D3S has an advantage over Hasselblad X1D. There are 280 lenses for Nikon D3S's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 2 lenses for Hasselblad X1D's Hasselblad X lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount and 0 lenses for Hasselblad X mount with IS.

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D3S and Hasselblad X1D scores compare:

Nikon D3S

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #4 out of 9 in Large SLR camerasRanked #161 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Hasselblad X1D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #1 out of 114 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless camerasRanked #8 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Hasselblad X1D is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D3S in all criterias. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money